Great Planes Spirit 100 Sailplane Kit - GPMA0550 - Manual (Page 8)

use your sanding block with medium grit sandpaper to sand both
sides smooth.
D 5. Carefully draw a centerline all around the edges of the
stab (this will help to maintain symmetry when sanding).
CAUTION!!!: You must use extreme care when cut-
ting hinge slots with a hobby knife, to avoid cutting
yourself! If the balsa part breaks while you are
pushing on the knife, the blade could go into your hand
before you know it! A good precaution is to wear
leather gloves while performing the following steps.
D 6. Tape the elevator to the stab with masking tape and using
a sanding block with coarse (50 or 80-grit) sandpaper, sand the
leading edge of the stab, the stab tips and the elevator tips to a
smooth rounded shape. The tips of the elevator should blend in
nicely with the stab tips. NOTE: The trailing edge of the STAB
must remain square, do not sand it!
D 7. Remove the elevator and draw a center line down its
leading edge. Use your sanding block to sand the same V-shape
as you did on the rudder. The trailing edge should also be sanded
to a smooth rounded shape.
CUT THE HINGE SLOTS (Do not glue)
NOTE: Due to the many types of hinges available and the fact
that everybody seems to have their own favorite, we did not
include hinges in this k i t . We can however, highly recommend
the "laminated" type hinges that you install with thin CA, Our
R&D department has thoroughly tested these hinges and found
them to be easy to install and sufficiently strong and durable for
this type of airplane. However, as the kit builder, you are
reminded that you are ultimately responsible for the structural
integrity of your aircraft. If you are not confident using this type
of hinge, please feel free to use your favorite hinge. The hinge
slots for this type of hinge can be cut now or you can wait and cut
them alter the surfaces are covered.
The following instructions explain how to install most hinges.
D 2. Cut the hinge slots on the accurate centerlines which
you previously drew using a hobby knife. (The recommended
hinge slotting technique is listed below).
A. Begin by carefully cutting a very shallow slit at the
hinge location. This first cut is to establish your cut in the
right place, so concentrate on staying on the centerline and
don't cut too deep!
B. Make three or four more cuts in the same line, going
slightly deeper each time. As you make these additional
cuts, work on going straight into the wood. Continue this
process while "wiggling" the knife handle forward and
backward until the blade has reached the proper depth for
the hinge.
C. Trial fit the hinge into the slot. If the hinge is difficult
to push in, re-insert the knife and move it back and forth in
the slot a few times to enlarge the slot.
D 1. Lay the rudder and elevators on the plan and mark the
hinge locations. Place the rudder against the fin TE and transfer
the marks over to the fin. Place the elevator against the stab TE
and transfer the marks over to the stab.
D 3. Insert the hinges into the slots and trial fit the rudder and
elevator in place on the fin and stab. Do not glue the hinges until
after you have covered the model. Hinge gluing instructions are
included later.
IF YOU HAVE DECIDED TO BUILD
THE ADVANCED WING PLEASE
SKIP TO PAGE 20.
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